A Castle, Palace, and a Half Marathon!
The latest adventure of Sticky Boy took him to Edinburgh, Scotland. Here we enjoyed hearing English (the Queen's English), seeing the castle, walking around a palace, and running a Rock n Roll half marathon. It was a wonderful trip, full of adventure, fun, hard work, and typical Scottish weather.
First up getting settled into our apartment, with a great view of the rooftops of Edinburgh. On the few clear days we had, you could see down to the Firth of Forth and out to the North Sea. I loved seeing the rows of flats along the streets, so typical of city living. One of our first stops was the Edinburgh Castle. The castle is a complex of buildings that has been altered many times due to war and the demands of the military, it is now the headquarters of the British army's Scottish Division. The castle was the seat of Scottish kings and queens, and the royal apartments include where Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to the boy who became James IV of Scotland and James I of England.
Next we walked down the Royal Mile to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, which is the official Scottish residence of the British royal family and closes when the Queen is in residence. Lucky for us, she was in London that weekend and we could have a look around. Founded by David I, King of Scots in 1128, who was out hunting one morning and saw a vision of a cross (according to legend) and decided a church should be built there, the original abbey is still on the grounds. This Palace has been home to many of Scotland's royal family, the most famous, Mary Queen of Scots. It is here that you can walk through her chambers and see where her private secretary David Rizzio was murdered. The palace has beautiful gardens and after walking through the ruins of the abbey, you can see where the Queen host her outdoor events. Just to the south of the Palace is Holyrood Park, where Arthur's Seat the highest point in Edinburgh is located, and was the start of our first half marathon in Europe.
The whole reason for our trip to Edinburgh, Scotland was to start our European Running Tour. Yes, we have decided that this year will be the "Year of Running", with 2 half marathons (Rock n Roll ones, so we can be World Rockers!) and the Original in Greece. We are doing all this running to raise fund and awareness for the Semper Fi Fund, which is a non-profit that helps our injured Marines and Sailors. I became involved with The Fund several years ago, not being able to volunteer my time in the office back at Camp Pendleton, I have decided I'll put my legs to work and Support through Sport. If you would like to help us in our fundraising efforts, please go to
http://www.stayclassy.org/fundraise/team?ftid=18357. The weather was less than stellar for running... cold, rainy, and windy! I'm talking 30-40 mph winds!!! We did it though, never once thinking about quitting. WHY, you ask... Well when I thought about the challenge ahead of me, I thought this is nothing compared to what some of our Marines and Sailors are facing. Then I thought about their wives, girlfriends, parents and other family members, who were giving their all in support for their injured loved ones. Running 13.1 miles in the crazy Scottish weather, was a walk in the park. I would do it all over again, wait we are in a few months.
So there you have it, Sticky Boy has another stamp in his passport and we are already planning our next adventure. Maybe he will have a friend to travel with come June, that is if I can find one at the next CTMH convention. Finger's crossed!!!
